The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) held a webinar on June 27, 2022, on an initiative to convert historical letters of interpretation (LOI) applicable to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) that have been issued to specific stakeholders into broadly applicable frequently asked questions (FAQ) on its website. A recording of the webinar is available online. During the webinar, Bill Quade, Deputy Associate...
August 12, 2022
BETO Achieves Major Biofuel Technology and Production Milestone
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on July 26, 2022, that it “has achieved a significant milestone in decreasing the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of drop-in biofuels, which are fuels made from biomass and other waste carbon sources, and that are compatible with existing petroleum fuel infrastructure and conventional vehicles.” BETO partnered with T2C-Energy, LLC (T2C) to...
August 11, 2022
EPA Updates Safer Chemical Ingredients List, Adding 22 Chemicals and Changing the Status of One Chemical
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 11, 2022, that it updated the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL), “a living list of chemicals by functional-use class that EPA’s Safer Choice program has evaluated and determined meet the Safer Choice Standard.” EPA added 22 chemicals to the SCIL. EPA states that to expand the number of chemicals and functional-use categories on the SCIL, it encourages manufacturers to submit their safer chemicals for review...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a supplemental proposed rule that would add the diisononyl phthalate (DINP) category to the list of toxic chemicals subject to the reporting requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). 87 Fed. Reg. 48128. EPA previously issued a proposed rule on September 5, 2000, in response to a petition filed under EPCRA, to add a DINP category to the list of toxic chemicals...
August 10, 2022
NASEM Report on the Importance of Chemical Research to the U.S. Economy Addresses Sustainability for
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) announced on July 21, 2022, publication of a new report entitled The Importance of Chemical Research to the U.S. Economy. The National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the American Chemical Society (ACS) asked NASEM to convene a committee to consider strategies to sustain and enhance...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a webinar on August 17, 2022, on the “EPA PFAS Strategic Roadmap: Research Tools and Resources.” EPA states that “[a] growing body of scientific evidence suggests that exposure at certain levels to specific [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)] can adversely impact human health and other living things.” The webinar will provide a brief overview of EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and ongoing efforts by EPA’s...
August 8, 2022
White House OSTP Releases Plan to Advance Research on Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released on August 5, 2022, a new report on the National Emerging Contaminants Research Initiative (NECRI). The report outlines a federal strategy to address critical research gaps related to detecting and assessing emerging contaminants in drinking water, as well as identifying and mitigating the adverse health effects those contaminants cause. The report also outlines strategic steps needed to more effectively...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted two new resource documents for recipients of test orders under Section 4 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The August 5, 2022, policy document entitled “Policies Regarding Manufacturers and Processors Subject to TSCA Section 4(a) Testing” provides two policies: Policy 1: Companies engaged in manufacturing activities for a chemical substance during the five years prior to the projected signature date or effective date of a...
On July 5, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule amending the regulations governing significant new uses of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to align with revisions that were made to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communications Standard (HCS) and changes to the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) respirator certification...
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 1, 2022, a 15-day public comment period on two additional peer review candidates for the external peer review of the Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress (RtC3). 87 Fed. Reg. 46958. EPA previously requested comment on an initial pool of 20 candidates announced in a May 9, 2022, Federal Register notice. EPA states that after considering public...